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Chapter One

Introduction: A Brief History of Bullet Casting

Introduccin: Una breve historia de balas fundidas

Bullet casting contributed significantly to the independence of the western cowboy,trapper and mountain man. That independence is still valuable today. Just like themountain man, once the modern caster buys a particular mould he can produce that

bullet for the rest of his life, and he doesnt have to worry about whether commercialbullet makers will alter or drop a particular favorite from their line. The ability toproduce countless thousands of identical bullets for decades to come reveals what aminiscule investment a bullet mould really is.La fundicin de balas contribuyo significativamente a la independencia del vaquero deloeste, del cazador y del hombre de la montaa. Esa independencia es valiosa hoy en da.

Al igual que el hombre de la montaa, una vez que el fundidor moderno compra unmolde especial que puede producir esa bala para el resto de su vida, y l no tiene que

preocuparse acerca de si los fabricantes comerciales de balas, alterarn o abandonen unfavorito de su lnea. La capacidad de producir miles y miles de balas idnticas en las

prximas dcadas revela lo que una inversin minscula en un molde de bala es enrealidad.

History

Originally bullet moulds were made and sold by the firearms manufacturers themselves.Colt was an early player in the mould manufacturing game, making ball and conical

bullet moulds for their early cap-n-ball revolvers. Shortly after the advent of the self-contained centerfire (i.e. reloadable) cartridge more sophisticated reloading tools

became available. Soon after S&W graduated from rimfire cartridges to their centerfireNumber 3 .44 American in 1870, they also added loading tools, including bullet moulds,to their product line. In the Remington catalogs of the 1870s are listed bullet mouldsmade by the Bridgeport Gun Implement Co. (BGI was a partner company, startedaround 1870 specifically to make loading tools for Remington).Originalmente los moldes de balas fueron fabricados y vendidos por los fabricantes dearmas de fuego. Colt fue un participante al principio del juego de fabricacin de moldes,haciendo moldes de bola y cnicos para sus primeros revlveres cap-n-bola. Pocodespus de la llegada del autocontenido centerfire (es decir, recargables) estaban

disponibles herramientas ms sofisticadas para los cartuchos de recarga. Poco despusde que S&W se gradu en cartuchos de percusin anular al de centerfire nmero 3, .44Americano en 1870, tambin agregaron a su lnea de productos, herramientas derecarga, incluidos los moldes de bala. En los catlogos de Remington de la dcada de1870 se enumeran los moldes de bala realizados por Bridgeport Gun Implement Co.(BGI es una empresa asociada, se inici en 1870 especficamente para hacerherramientas de recarga para Remington).

Winchester started making iron-handled bullet moulds in 1875 (and in a humanitariangesture added wooden handles in 1890). In their 1876 catalog, Sharps advertised bulletmoulds to make paper-patched bullets for their popular and powerful rifles. Marlin

(Ballard) was also making moulds in the 1870s, and in 1881 enlisted none other thanJohn M. Brownings input for a mould/loading tool that he designed and patented, and
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was subsequently manufactured by Marlin. The Maynard 1873 cartridge had a 5-piececase, very thick cartridge head and Berdan primer.Winchester comenz a hacer los moldes de bala con mango de hierro en 1875 (y en ungesto humanitario aadio mangos de madera en 1890). En 1876 su catlogo, Sharpsanuncia moldes de bala en la fabricacin de balas de papel-parcheado de los fusiles

populares y poderosos. Marlin (Ballard) fue tambin la fabrica de moldes en la dcadade 1870, y en 1881 se alisto nada menos que John M. Browning con una herramienta demolde/carga que dise y patent, que fue fabricado posteriormente por Marlin. En1873 el cartucho Maynard tena una vaina de 5 piezas, la cabeza del cartucho muygruesa y fulminante Berdan.

The Maynard loading tools had a bullet mould, as well as a hook and a chisel for pryingthe spent primers out of the spent cartridge case. One of the more unique moulds fromthis era is that for the Maynard exploding bullet, a HP designed to be fitted with a .22

blank cartridge, advertised in the 1885 Maynard catalog in .40, .44 and .50 caliber. The1870s were indeed a time of great change in the firearms industry.

In 1884 John H. Barlow took his experience as a shooter and as a tool and die makerand founded the Ideal Company, offering his patented tong tools to reload spent cases,and later separate bullet moulds for those using bench-mounted presses. These bulletmoulds were either single cavity, or 6- or 7-cavity Armory moulds, all with fixedhandles at this point.Las herramientas de recarga Maynard tenia un molde de bala, as como un gancho y uncincel para apalancar los fulminantes usados fuera del casquillo del cartucho. Uno de losmoldes ms singulares de esta poca es que la bala Maynard explosiva, un diseo HP

para ser equipado con un cartucho en blanco .22, de una publicidad en el catlogo de1885 Maynard en .40, .44 y calibre .50. La dcada de 1870 fue en verdad un tiempo degrandes cambios en la industria de armas de fuego.En 1884, John H. Barlow tom su experiencia como tirador y tomo una herramienta,una matriz fund Ideal Company, ofreciendo sus herramientas patentadas pinzas pararecargar las vainas usadas, y los moldes de bala por separado para aquellos que usanmontaje en prensas de banco. Estos moldes de bala eran de una sola cavidad de 6 o de 7,todos con asas fijas en este punto.

Note the lack of alignment pins and the hand-cut vent lines.

Tenga en cuenta la falta de pasadores de alineacin y las lneas de ventilacin cortadas

a mano.

The landscape was changing dramatically in the firearms industry in the late 1800s andearly 1900s, and John Barlow kept pace with his contributions. His Ideal Handbooks

(first published in the 1880's) were the first reloading guides published in America, ofcritical importance as shooters moved into the relatively uncharted territory of the then


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new smokeless powders. In Ideal Handbook #4 (published in 1890), he described theuse of cast hollow-pointed bullets for enhanced performance on game animals. In IdealHandbook #9 (1897) he unveiled the now familiar mould numbering scheme for Ideal'sfirst 150 mould designs. In 1906, Barlow patented the first American gas-checked cast

bullet designs to take advantage of the higher velocities available from the new

smokeless powders (described later that year in Ideal Handbook #17).El paisaje fue cambiando de manera espectacular en la industria de armas de fuego en ladcada de 1800 y principios de 1900, y John Barlow al mismo ritmo que suscontribuciones. Su Manuales Ideal (publicado por primera vez en la dcada de 1880)fueron los primeras guas de recarga publicados en Estados Unidos, de importanciacrtica para tiradores que se traslad al territorio, relativamente inexplorado de lasentonces nuevas plvoras sin humo. En el Manual Ideal # 4 (publicado en 1890),describi el uso de balas fundidas de punta hueca, para mejorar el rendimiento en l cazade animales. En el Manual Ideal # 9 (1897) dio a conocer el molde de esquema yaconocido de numeracin para los primeros Ideal con 150 diseos de moldes. En 1906,Barlow patent el primer diseo de gas-check estadounidense para bala fundida, para

tomar ventaja en velocidades ms altas disponibles a partir de los nuevas plvoras sinhumo (descritos ms adelante que ao en Manual Ideal # 17).

In May of 1910, after leading the Ideal Manufacturing Co. for 26 years, Mr. Barlowretired and sold the company to The Marlin Firearms Co., with whom he had workedclosely for many years. Marlin sold Ideal a few years later during the first World War toPhineas Talcott (but Marlin remained involved with production of the Ideal Handbook).By 1925 things were not going well and Phineas Talcott sold the struggling IdealReloading Tool Company to the Lyman Gun Sight Corporation (founded by WilliamLyman in 1878), along with the rights to the Ideal Handbook (which was later renamedThe Lyman Handbook with #27, published in 1926). Lyman scaled up manufacturingcapacity and continued production of the Ideal line of bullets moulds, using the Idealname into the late 1950s.En mayo de 1910, despus de dirigir el Ideal Manufacturing Co. por 26 aos, el Sr.Barlow se retir y vendi la compaa a la Compaa de Armas de Fuego Marlin, conquien haba trabajado en estrecha colaboracin durante muchos aos. Ideal Marlinvendido unos aos ms tarde, durante la Primera Guerra Mundial a Phineas Talcott(pero Marlin estuvo involucrado en la produccin del Ideal Handbook). En 1925 lascosas no iban bien y Phineas Talcott vendi la Ideal Reloading Tool Companya la GunSight Lyman (fundada por William Lyman en 1878), junto con los derechos de la GuaIdeal (que despus se llam "El Manual Lyman" por el n 27, publicado en 1926).

Lyman amplio su capacidad de fabricacin y continu la produccin de la lnea Ideal demoldes de balas, con el nombre de Ideal en la dcada de 1950.

During this time Lyman introduced interchangeable mould blocks in their single cavitymoulds (first advertised in theAmerican Rifleman in 1927, and cataloged in 1931), and

phased out the older fixed handle style. In 1940-1 (Ideal Handbook #34), Lyman addeda special retaining pin to hold their hollow point plug in place during casting.Interchangeable double cavity mould blocks didnt appear until after World War II (firstlisted in the Ideal Handbook #36, which was published in 1949), followed soonthereafter by venting lines cut in the faces of the mould blocks. Interchangeable 4-cavitymould blocks were introduced in 1958. Lyman continues to produce many of these

mould designs to this day.


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Durante este tiempo, Lyman introdujo bloques intercambiables en los moldes decavidades individuales (primero se anuncio en el American Rifleman en 1927, ycatalogado en 1931), y elimin el viejo estilo de mango fijo. En 1940-1 (Manual Ideal #34), Lyman aade un pin especial de retencin para contener la clavija de punta huecaen su lugar durante la colada. Bloques intercambiables de doble cavidad no aparecieron

hasta despus de la Segunda Guerra Mundial (el primero listado en el Manual Ideal N 36, que se public en 1949), seguido poco despus por las lneas de ventilacin cortadasen la cara de los bloques del molde. Los bloques intercambiables de 4 cavidades seintrodujo en 1958. Lyman contina produciendo muchos de estos diseos de moldes enestos das.

An Ideal Armory mould for the 360344 wadcutter.

Un molde Ideal Armory para el wadcutter 360344.

Early Ideal rifle bullets were designed not only by John Barlow, but also by suchnotable shooters as Harry Pope, Col. Townsend Whelen, and Phil Sharpe, among others.In the early 1920s, a vociferous northwestern cowboy, rancher and competitive shooternamed Elmer Keith went to Belding & Mull with some of his ideas for experimentalrevolver bullets. Belding & Mull made the moulds (interestingly, B&M moulds weremade out of solid nickel) and Keith assembled and evaluated many test loads usingthese bullets. Keith learned much from these experiments with cast bullet design, but henever quite got to where he wanted to be.Las primeras balas de fusil Ideal, fueron diseados no slo por John Barlow, sinotambin por estos tiradores notables como Harry Papa, Col. Townsend Whelen, ySharpe Phil, entre otros. En la dcada de 1920, un vociferante vaquero tirador delnoroeste, ranchero y competitivo llamado Elmer Keith fue a Belding y reflexiona conalgunas de sus ideas para balas de revlver experimentales. Belding y Mull hacen losmoldes (curiosamente, moldes B&M fueron hechos de nquel slido) y Keith reunio yevaluo muchas cargas de prueba que utilizan estas balas. Keith aprendido mucho de

estos experimentos con diseos de moldes de bala, pero l nunca lleg a donde queraestar.

In 1928, shortly after Lyman bought the Ideal Co., he turned to Lyman and asked themto make some bullet moulds according to his optimized designs. Thus was born theKeith SWC. The Keith SWCs have 3 equal width driving bands, a square-cut greasegroove, a beveled crimp groove, a sharp wad-cutting shoulder, a compound-radiusedogive for stable long-range flight, and a healthy, meat-crushing meplat. They have

proven themselves over the last three quarters of a century as some of the finest revolverbullets of all time. The original Keith SWC was for his beloved .44 Special (#429421),but Keith/Lyman went on to produce similar moulds in other calibers (e.g. .357, .45,

etc.) and in hollow-base and hollow-point variations.


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En 1928, poco despus que Lyman compr el Ideal Co., volvi a Lyman y les pidihacer algunos moldes de bala de acuerdo con sus diseos optimizados. As naci elSWC Keith. Los SWC tienen 3 bandas de igual anchura de conduccin, una ranura deengrase de corte cuadrado, un crimp surco biselado, un hombro fuerte fajo de corte, unaojiva redondeada compuesta para estabilizar el largo alcance de vuelo, y un Meplat

saludable, la carne de trituracin. Ellos han demostrado en los ltimos tres cuartos desiglo, ya que algunas de las balas de revlver mejores de todos los tiempos. El originalSWC Keith era para su amada .44 Special (# 429421), pero Keith-Lyman pas a

producir moldes similares en otros calibres (por ejemplo, .357, .45, etc) y lasvariaciones en la base hueca y punta hueca.

Similar fixed handle moulds were also made by the Yankee Specialty Company. Thesewere made out of bronze and were commonly cut with the same designs as used byIdeal, including the Keith SWC's. Yankee Specialty made 1, 2 and 3 cavity moulds, aswell as HP moulds (they claimed to have over 600 designs available). Yankee Specialtywas in business from 1916 until the owner died in 1954, although their business volume

after 1940 was small. Yankee moulds are commonly unmarked and have simplecylindrical wooden handles that are wired on (although a few are reported to haveferrules).Similares mangos fijos de moldes tambin se hicieron por la Empresa YankeeEspecialty. stos se hicieron de bronce y se cortaron comnmente con los mismosdiseos que utiliza Ideal, entre ellos el de Keith SWC. Yankee hizo alojamientos de 1, 2y 3 cavidades, as como moldes de HP (que decan tener ms de 600 diseosdisponibles). Yankee Especialty estaba en el negocio desde 1916 hasta que el

propietario muri en 1954, a pesar del volumen de negocios a partir de 1940 fuepequeo. Moldes yanquis estan comnmente sin marcar y tienen manijas cilndricassimples de madera que se conectan (aunque unos pocos se informa, tienen casquillos).

A copy of the Ideal 452423, made by Yankee Specialty Co. with integral handles

(Yankee Specialty also made a few moulds with interchangeable blocks). ThisDepression-era mould is made from bronze, not iron.

Una copia del Ideal 452423, realizado por Yankee Specialty Co. con asas integral

(Yankee Specialtytambin hizo unos pocos moldes con bloques intercambiables). Este

molde de la era de la Depresin est hecho de bronce, no de hierro.

Things got busy on the American bullet casting scene in the second quarter of the 20 th

century. George Hensley was a machinist involved in the manufacture of all sorts ofthings (like bicycles, a gasoline fired marine engine, etc.), as well as doing generalmachine work and repair, with his company that he started in 1893. In 1932, he startedturning out some top-notch moulds from his shop in San Diego in response to the

demand for multiple cavity moulds needed by police departments. The P.D.'s had tosupply practice ammunition for their officers and needed moulds capable of casting


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larger numbers of bullets than what was generally available at the time. The GreatDepression meant that budgets were tight, and affordable practice ammo was asignificant need, just as it is today. James Gibbs was a farm boy from the Midwest whowas very mechanically inclined and was operating a small gunsmithing shop on hisown.

Las cosas se pusieron atareadas en la escena de balas de fundicin estadounidense en elsegundo cuarto del siglo 20. George Hensley era maquinista en la fabricacin de todotipo de cosas (como bicicletas, una gasolina de encendido de motores marinos, etc), ascomo hacer trabajos en general de mquina y reparacin, con la compaa que comenzen 1893. En 1932, l comenz a apagar algunos moldes de primer nivel de su tienda enSan Diego, en respuesta a la demanda de moldes de mltiples cavidades que necesitanlos departamentos de polica. El PD se tena que suministrar de municin de prctica

para sus funcionarios y de moldes necesarios capaces de fundir un mayor nmero debalas de lo que estaba generalmente disponible en el momento. La Gran Depresin hizoque los presupuestos se ajustasen, y la municin de prctica asequible era una necesidadimportante, como lo es hoy. James Gibbs era un granjero del medio oeste muy inclinado

a la mecnica y operaba una tienda de fabricantes de armas pequeas por su cuenta.

James met up with George Hensley in the late 1930s as a result of their common interestin firearms, and Mr. Hensley quickly saw James talents and the two struck on anagreement for James to help George out in the shop making moulds. Hensley & Gibbsworked together from 1938 to 1940, when George became too old to work in the shop.Eventually, he sold the business to James in 1950. The partnership of Hensley & Gibbs

produced some of the finest moulds ever made, including 6, 8 and 10 cavity gangmoulds that were the mainstay for many police departments and shooting clubs. Theirreputation for quality was such that Elmer Keith went to H&G in the early 1960s to getthem to re-introduce the original Keith SWC designs after Lyman had modified hisdesign (much to his displeasure) by changing the width of the driving bands and goingto a smaller, rounded grease groove. Keith was very pleased with the H&G products.Initially, H&G operated out of San Diego, but in 1964-1965 moved to Oregon's historicApplegate Valley, to the small town of Murphy. Wayne Gibbs eventually took over forhis James (his father) and Wayne continued to run the family business until the mid-1990s. Hensley & Gibbs moulds are now available through Ballisti-Cast Manufacturing.James se encontr con George Hensley a finales de 1930, como resultado de su interscomn por las armas de fuego, el Sr. Hensley rpidamente vio talento en James y losdos arreglaron en un acuerdo para ayudar a James George en la tienda de fabricacin demoldes. Hensley & Gibbs trabajaron juntos desde 1938 hasta 1940, cuando George

lleg a ser demasiado viejo para trabajar en la tienda. Finalmente, se vendi el negocio aJames en 1950. La asociacin de Hensley & Gibbs produjo algunos de los mejoresmoldes que se han hecho, incluyendo de 6, 8 y 10 cavidades de grupo, que eran elapoyo principal para muchos departamentos de polica y clubes de tiro. Su reputacinde calidad era tal que Elmer Keith fue a H&G a principios de 1960 para conseguirvolver a introducir los diseos originales de Keith de CSA despus que Lyman habamodificado su diseo (muy a su disgusto) cambiando el ancho de las bandas deconduccin por una ms pequea, grasa ranura redondeada. Keith estaba muy satisfechocon los productos de H&G. Inicialmente, H&G operaba en San Diego, pero en 1964-1965 se traslad al histrico Valle de Oregn Applegate, a la pequea ciudad deMurphy. Wayne Gibbs finalmente se hizo cargo de James (su padre) y Wayne continu

dirigiendo el negocio familiar hasta mediados de la dcada de 1990. Moldes de Hensley& Gibbs ya estn disponibles a travs de Ballisti-Cast Manufacturing.


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A well-used Hensley & Gibbs 10-cavity #51BB .38 semi-wadcutter mould (note the

particularly massive sprue plate).

Un molde bien utilizado Hensley &Gibbs de 10 cavidades # 51BB .38 semi-wadcutter

(vase la placa de colada particularmente masiva).

Advertisement (circa 1939) of the unique Cramer 10-cavity gang mould.

Publicidad (cerca de 1939) del molde de banda nica Cramer de 10 cavidades.

Cramer Bullet Mould Co. (of North Hollywood, CA) started producing some very well-made cast-iron moulds sometime around 1937. They made 2, 3 and 5-cavity moulds, aswell as the more typical 6, 8 and 10-cavity gang moulds. Cramer's 10-cavity gangmoulds were constructed of a unique, patented design. There were two parallel rows of5 cavities each, with 3 mould blocks (a center block, and the two outer blocks withhandles mounted). The sprue plate, instead of swinging through an arc (as most do) wasgrooved such that it was struck to move down the long axis of the mould, away from thecaster. Only after the sprue had been struck could the mould be opened. It was claimedthat this enhanced production rate and efficiency. In December of 1951 Santa AnitaEngineering Co. (better known as SAECO, who made lead-pots and lube-sizers inPasadena, CA) took over production of the Cramer line of moulds, and focused mainly

on 2 and 4-cavity moulds. In 1971, Saeco added 8-cavity gang moulds to their productline. In 1985, Saeco was bought out by Redding (the well-respected makers of precision


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reloading dies) and moved to Cortland, NY. Redding has made Saeco bullet mouldsever since. The 8-cavity bullet moulds were phased out in 2002.Cramer Bullet Mould Co. (de North Hollywood, CA) comenz a producir algunos muy

bien hecho de hierro fundido moldes en algn momento alrededor de 1937. Elloshicieron 2, 3 y 5 moldes de cavidades, as como el ms tpico 6, 8 y 10-moldes de

bandas. 10-cavidad de Cramer moldes pandilleros fueron construidos con un diseonico, patentado. Haba dos filas paralelas de 5 cavidades cada uno, con 3 bloques demolde (un bloque central y los dos bloques exteriores con manijas montadas). La placade canal de colada, en lugar de pivotar a travs de un arco (como la mayora) seranurados de tal manera que fue golpeado para mover hacia abajo el eje longitudinal delmolde, lejos de la mquina de colada. Slo despus de que el canal de colada haba sidoalcanzado el molde puede ser abierto. Se aleg que este tipo de aumento de la

produccin y la eficiencia. En diciembre de 1951 Santa Anita Engineering Co. (msconocido como SAECO, quien hizo entrega ollas y lubricante dimensionadores-enPasadena, CA) se hizo cargo de la produccin de la lnea de Cramer de moldes, y secentr principalmente los das 2 y 4 moldes de cavidad. En 1971, Saeco aadido 8-

moldes de pandillas a su lnea de productos. En 1985, Saeco fue comprada por Redding(los fabricantes respetados de precisin recarga muere) y se traslad a Cortland, NY.Redding ha hecho moldes de bala Saeco desde entonces. Los moldes de bala de 8cavidades fueron eliminados en 2002.

A Cramer 5 cavity .38 wadcutter mould.

A Cramer 5 .38 wadcutter cavidad del molde.

Bond Manufacturing Co. appears to have started in the mould-making businesssometime around 1910. Shortly before WW I, they teamed up with Modern EquipmentCorp., and officially changed the name to Modern-Bond shortly after the War to EndAll Wars. They made all manner of reloading tools, but especially bullet moulds.Modern-Bond appears to have closed up shop in 1951. The Modern-Bond Corporationwas the originator of the interchangeable block moulds which have been extensively

copied by other manufacturers., so states the Modern-Bond ads appearing in theAmerican Rifleman back as early as 1927 (in response to Lyman/Ideal's ad claiming tohave invented the concept).Bond Manufacturing Co. parece haber comenzado en el negocio de moldes en algnmomento alrededor de 1910. Poco antes de la Primera Guerra Mundial, se uni aModern Equipment Corp., y oficialmente cambi el nombre por el de Modern-Bond

poco despus de la guerra que acabara con todas las guerras. Ellos hicieron todo tipo deherramientas de recarga, pero sobre todo moldes de bala. Modern-Bond parece habercerrado sus puertas en 1951. "La Corporacin Moderna-Bond fue el creador de losmoldes de bloques intercambiables que han sido ampliamente copiado por otrosfabricantes.", Por lo que afirma que los anuncios de hoy en bonos que aparecen en el

fusilero americano detrs desde 1927 (en respuesta a Lyman / Ideales 's anuncio queafirman haber inventado el concepto).


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Picture of a Modern-Bond F-257-730 mould (a .25 caliber 86 grain GC-RN), showingthe unique black lacquered handles of the Modern-Bond moulds.

This was turf-staking claim was brought on when Lyman/Ideal started makinginterchangeable single-cavity mould blocks in 1927 (even though they weren't catalogeduntil 1931). Modern-Bond may have had some sort of patent protection on multiplecavity moulds with exchangeable blocks, which might explain why Lyman didnt

produce such moulds until 1949 (although George Hensley certainly did in the 1930s).In any event, Modern-Bond turned out an extensive line of both rifle and pistol designsin well-made 2-cavity moulds during the 1920s up through about 1950. If a prospectivecustomer wanted to examine a Modern-Bond bullet design in the flesh they wouldsend sample bullets through the mail for a nickel apiece.The Herters mail order catalog contained gear to outfit just about any flavor of outdooradventure, from fly-fishing, to back-packing, to bow-hunting, to fur trapping. Includedin this Nirvana of the Northwood's was an extensive selection of bullet moulds for thecasting enthusiast. Generally, these mould designs and mould numbering scheme wereidentical to Lyman's, revealing the origin of their mould blocks (which by the way areun-marked), although sometimes Herter's just labeled the mould with bullet diameterand weight.

A single-cavity Herter's .38/.357 SWC mould mould cut by Lyman, with a 358156cavity, with the Herter's sprue plate.All of the Herter's moulds I've seen were single-cavity, but their catalogs listed double-cavity moulds as well. The Herter's sprue plates were slightly different than the Lymansprue plates, having a small tab bent over the edge of the blocks to serve as a stopinstead of the Lyman method of having a stop-pin mounted in the mould blocks. Thesprue plate was also stamped with "HERTER'S INC. WASECA, MINN. U.S.A.", alongwith the mould design number, and the sprue plate pivot screw had no "keeper" screw.

Herter's extensive selection of moulds included HP moulds for the .32-40 and .45-70rifles, but the only pistol HP cataloged in 1969 was for the .32-20 (31133). A number of


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HB mould designs were cataloged for both rifles and pistols. The 1968 Gun Control Actseriously bit into Herter's business, and they eventually folded up shop. Used Herter'smould are still encountered today, albeit it infrequently.Lachmiller of Glendale, California entered the loading tool business in 1952, andoffered a complete line of reloading tools, dies, sizers, presses, etc. In 1969 Lachmiller

introduced a line of well-made 2 and 3-cavity bullet moulds. Lachmiller continued tomake bullet moulds into the 1970s, but then sold off their product line to RCBS in thelater part of that decade.

A Lachmiller 3-cavity .38 SWC mould.

Ohaus started offering bullet moulds in a big way in 1972, entering the market with 68different bullet designs, as well as 19 round ball moulds. Ohaus moulds were cut withtungsten carbide cherries for durability and consistency. A few years later RCBS boughtout Ohaus, and continues to produce many of these bullet moulds today.

RCBS mould .40 caliber FP.

Lee entered the bullet mould market in 1973, offering inexpensive aluminum mouldsthat have allowed beginning casters to get started affordably. Their 6-cavity pistolmoulds (which were introduced in 1989) provide an affordable way to make a pile of

pistol bullets in a hurry.


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Lee 6-cavity .45 ACP TC mould.

Stepping back and looking at the overall picture of bullet mould manufacture inAmerica, we see production of bullet moulds shifting from the firearms manufacturersto stand-alone companies that made reloading tools from the 1880s through the early1900s. This was followed by a flurry of activity in the middle half of the 20 th century,especially in the post-war 40s and 50s. Then, through the course of mergers, buy-outs,and closures we see the number of outfits making bullet moulds dropping off towardsthe end of the century. As the 20th century closed, there were 4 major manufacturinghouses still producing bullet moulds; Lyman, RCBS, Saeco (Redding) and Lee. Ofcourse, there were also a number of smaller shops offering specialty and custom mouldmaking services, such as NEI, Hoch, LBT and Rapine. Sadly however, great mouldmakers like Cramer, Lachmiller, and Modern-Bond are heard from no more. To castwith one of their rugged moulds is to relive history with sweat, smoke and vintage ironin your very hands.

Why do we cast?

Por qu fundir?

Back in the days when Elmer Keith was drawing up 429421, a shooters needfor bulletcasting equipment was much more of a driver than it is for us today. Living on remote

ranches in the Pacific Northwest in the 1920s, availability of reloading components waslimited and mail-orders were slow and of spotty reliability. Keiths ministrations (aswell as those of other gun-writers of the day) were well-received by the Americanshooting public and the popularity of casting grew in the 1940s and 50s to a kind ofGolden Age of Bullet Casting, in which most serious handgunners had an assortment ofmoulds with which to feed their flock. In recent decades, this tendency has all butdisappeared.En los das cuando Elmer Keith elaboraba 429421, un tirador necesita equipos parafundir balas que es mucho ms que un conductor de lo que es para nosotros hoy. Viviren ranchos alejados en el noroeste del Pacfico en la dcada de 1920, la disponibilidadde los componentes de recarga era limitada y los pedidos por correo eran lentos y de

fiabilidad irregular. En la administracin de Keith (as como las de otros escritores dearmas de fuego de la poca) fueron bien recibidas por el pblico tirador estadounidensey la popularidad de la fundicin creci en la dcada de 1940 y 50, especie de edad deoro de la fundicin de balas, donde el ms serio handgunners tena un surtido de moldescon los que alimentar su "rebao". En las ltimas dcadas, esta tendencia hadesaparecido

Today, we have more manufacturers turning out a greater selection of higher qualitycomponents than ever before. High-volume businesses, with massive inventories, havesprung up to scratch most every conceivable shooters itch. As a result, in todays worldof e-business, its no problem to rattle off an online order and have it accurately filled

and on your doorstep in 24-48 hours. Times have changed, indeed! Given this Land ofMilk and Honey why would anyone want to cast their own bullets? Why not just reap


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the advantages of cast bullets by shooting those available commercially? There are quitea few cast bullets available commercially, and virtually all of them are have a Brinnellhardness number (BHN) of 20 or greater, and are decorated with some mysteriousflavor of gaily colored hard lube.Hoy en da, tenemos ms fabricantes, resultando una mayor seleccin de componentes

de mayor calidad que nunca. Empresas de gran volumen, con inventarios masivos, hansurgido a la altura del mayor picor concebible de cada tirador. Como resultado, en elmundo actual de los negocios electrnicos, no hay problema para un pedido en lnea ytenerlo con precisin en su puerta en 24-48 horas. De hecho, los tiempos han cambiado!Teniendo en cuenta esta "Tierra de Leche y Miel" por qu iba alguien a querer fundirsus propias balas? Por qu no aprovechar las ventajas de las balas fundidas que estndisponibles comercialmente? Hay muy pocas balas fundidas disponiblescomercialmente y prcticamente todos ellas tiene un nmero Brinnell de dureza (BHN)de 20 o mayor y estn decoradas con un poco de sabor misterioso de duro lubricante dealegres colores.

We, as Americans, have a tendency towards the thinking that if a little is good, thenmore is better, so if Elmer Keiths beloved 429421s cast of 16-to-1 alloy had a BHN of12 and were good, then a commercial hard-cast bullet with a BHN of 22 must be better,right? Nope, hard bullets certainly have their place, but they are generally not ideally-suited for routine revolver shooting (these reasons behind this will be developed in moredetail in the alloy selection chapter). So why are commercial cast bullets so hard?Remember the bit about living in a world of overnight delivery? The reason thatcommercial casters make their bullets so hard is so they can withstand the rough andtumble conditions of shipping. What good are those lovely 429421s at a BHN of 12 ifthey show up on your doorstep, dinged, dented and out-of-round?

Nosotros, como estadounidenses, tenemos una tendencia hacia el pensamiento de que"si un poco es bueno, ms es mejor", as que si Elmer Keith ama las 429421s fundidasde aleacin 16-a-1 que tienen 12 BHN y eran buenas, entonces una comercial fundidadura con una bala de 22 BHN tiene que ser mejor, no? No, balas duras ciertamentetienen su lugar, pero generalmente no son idealmente adecuadas para disparar en unrevlver de rutina (estas razones sern desarrolladas con ms detalle en el captulo deseleccin de la aleacin). Por qu las balas comerciales fundidas son tan duras?Recuerda lo de vivir en un mundo de entrega al da siguiente? La razn de que losfundidores comerciales hacen sus balas tan duras es para que puedan resistir las durascondiciones y la cadas del envo. De qu sirven los lovely 429421 de 12 BHN siaparecen en su puerta, abolladas y fuera de forma?

Commercial cast bullets are cast that hard as a means of damage control, plain andsimple. The home-caster has the freedom to cast bullets whatever hardness his specificload and gun require, without worrying what some unknown freighter is going to dropon them. Once again, the ability to cast one's own bullets provides independence fromexternal worries.Commercial casters generally tend to cast only those bullets that are available forcasting machines (e.g. Magma), in an effort to maximize their output. After all, their

bottom-line is time equals bullets, and more bullets equals more money. Almostinvariably, these machine moulds have rounded features, and are bevel-based (BB) toinsure that the bullets release easily from the mould, thereby speeding up production

rate.


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Balas comerciales fundidas son tan duras como medio de control de daos, as desimple. La casa fundidora tiene la libertad de fundir a cualquier dureza de balas para suespecfica y requerida recarga, sin preocuparse de lo que algunos recargadoresdesconocidos van a caer sobre ellos. Una vez ms, la capacidad de fundir balas propias

proporciona independencia de preocupaciones externas.

Los comerciales en general, tienden a fundir slo las balas que estn disponibles paralas mquinas de fundicin (por ejemplo Magma), en un esfuerzo para maximizar suproduccin. Despus de todo, su lnea de fondo es "el tiempo es igual a balas y msbalas es igual a ms dinero". Casi invariablemente, estos moldes de mquinas hanredondeado caractersticas y son a base de bisel (BB) para asegurar que las balas seliberen fcilmente del molde, acelerando as la velocidad de produccin.

If you dont want one of these generic designs, or youre looking for a specific profilefor a specific application, or if you dont like BB bullets, then youre pretty much stuck.On the bright side, there are a few shops that still cast from hand-held moulds and offertraditional PB designs like the Keith SWCs, etc. But remember, these are hand-made

bullets, not mass-produced from a casting machine, so you can expect to pay extra fortheir hand-crafted services.If you want designs that are even more time-consuming to cast, like traditional hollow-

base bullets for some of the old black powder cartridges, or cast hollow-points for hard-hitting hunting loads, not only are these mould designs slow to cast and therefore moreexpensive to produce, but they are very poorly served by the hard alloys used bycommercial casting (BHN of 20). Casting your own bullets provides the independenceto produce these bullets at will, in your exact alloy of choice -- no worries, no waiting.Si usted no quiere uno de estos diseos genricos, o esta buscando un perfil especfico

para una aplicacin especfica, o si no le gustan las balas BB, entonces est bastanteatascado. En el lado positivo, hay algunas tiendas que an funden a mano y ofrecendiseos tradicionales del PB, como el de Keith SWC, etc Pero recuerde, estas sonhechas a mano, balas no producidas en serie a partir de una mquina de fundicin, porlo que usted puede esperar pagar ms por sus servicios hechos a mano.Si quiere diseos, que son incluso de mayor tiempo para fundir, como las tradicionales

balas de base hueca para algunos de los viejos cartuchos de plvora negra, o hollowpoints para cargas de caza contundentes, no slo son estos moldes diseados, lentospara fundir y por lo tanto ms caros de producir, pero estn muy mal atendidos por lasaleaciones duras utilizadas por fundiciones comerciales (BHN de 20). Fundir sus

propias balas proporciona la independencia para producir a voluntad, en la aleacinexacta de eleccin - no se preocupe, no hay que esperar.

Commercial bullet casting is a business, plain and simple, and the product line is goingto be dictated by business volume. The commercial caster is going to sell a lot of .38WCs, 9mm RNs and .45 SWCs, so thats what they are going to produce. Thats justgood business sense! But what if you have a .40-50 Sharps Bottle-neck, or a .405Winchester, or a .41 Long Colt, and need bullets of an unusual diameter and you dontfeel like paying a buck apiece (or more) for custom jacketed bullets? Or you dont wantto wear out a valuable old, soft barrel? The purchase and use of one bullet mould willkeep you and your cherished piece of firearm history shooting for many, many years.Imagine being able to call up Hornady (or Nosler, or Sierra, or Speer) and saying, Youknow, I really like your .357 JHPs, but they dont expand quite the way I want in my

favorite load. I need some with a core composition of 2% tin, no antimony.


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La fundicin de balas comerciales es un negocio, as de simple y la lnea de productosva a ser dictado por el volumen del negocio. El fundidor comercial va a vender unmontn de .38 WC, 9mm RN y .45 de SWC, as que eso es lo que va a producir. Eso esslo un buen sentido de los negocios! Pero si usted tiene un .40-50 Sharps cuello de

botella, o un .405 Winchester, o un Colt .41 Long, y la necesidad de balas de un

dimetro inusual y no quiere pagar un dlar cada uno (o ms) para balas encamisadaspersonalizadas? O usted no quiere usar un valioso can viejo y suave? La compra y eluso de un molde de bala lo mantendr a usted y a su preciada pieza de historia de armade fuego, por muchos, muchos aos.Imagine que es capaz de llamar a Hornady (Nosler, Sierra o Speer) y diciendo: "Sabe,me gusta mucho tu .357 JHP, pero no se expanden bastante a la forma en que quiero mirecarga favorita. Necesito una composicin de ncleo de 2% de estao, no deantimonio.

When can you have, say, 500 of them ready for me? Or, Your 250 grain .45 RNFP isa great bullet, but its .451 diameter and I need it made with a diameter of .454 for my

old Colt SAA. How soon can I get a couple hundred? Obviously, a major commercialbullet manufacturer would go broke trying to satisfy such requests, but the shooter whocasts his own bullets can make these adjustments easily, and have the results ready toshoot today. Once again, we return to the central theme of independence.With the resurging interest in cowboy action shooting and traditional guns and loads,once again shooters are turning to hot, smoky moulds to produce their projectiles. Partlyfor nostalgic reasons, partly for period authenticity, but also I think partly because themodern day shooter likes to feel that same independence that the cowboys and mountainmen of the late 19th century felt. There is something very satisfying about making yourown bullets.Cundo se pueden tener, por ejemplo, 500 de ellas listas para m? ", o "Su 250 grain .45 RNFP es una bala grande, pero es .451" de dimetro y necesito con un dimetro de .454" para mi viejo Colt SAA. Qu tan pronto puedo obtener un par de cientos?"Obviamente, un importante fabricante de bala comercial ira a la quiebra, tratando desatisfacer esas peticiones, pero el tirador que funde sus propias balas puede hacer estosajustes con facilidad, y tener los resultados listos para disparar hoy. Una vez ms,volvemos al tema central de la "independencia".Con el resurgimiento del inters en el tiro vaquero de accin y las armas tradicionales ylas cargas, una vez ms, los tiradores estn dando vuelta a los moldes calientes, llenosde humo para producir sus proyectiles. En parte por razones nostlgicas, en parte por laautenticidad del perodo, pero tambin creo que en parte es porque el tirador de hoy en

da le gusta sentir la misma independencia que los vaqueros y los hombres de lamontaa de finales del siglo 19 sentan. Hay algo muy satisfactorio en hacer sus propiasbalas.

Yes, the hobby of bullet casting can fuel large volumes of inexpensive shooting; yes,cast bullets are gentler on the rifled bore; yes, it is a very satisfying hobby that allowsthe shooter to put more of themselves into their shooting and therefore to get more outof it; and yes, cast bullets allow some fine old guns to be shot that could not be shototherwise, but in the end, bullet casting all boils down to independence. It provides theshooter with the ability to produce as many bullets of whatever diameter, whateverdesign, and whatever composition, as they want, for the rest of their life. It is precisely

this sort of self-reliant independence that made America strong. God bless America!


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S, la aficin de la fundicin de bala puede alimentar grandes volmenes de tiro barato,s balas de fundicin son ms suaves en el orificio estriado, s es un pasatiempo muysatisfactorio que permite al tirador poner ms de s mismo en sus disparos, por lo quellegar ms fuera de l y s las balas fundidas permiten que algunas armas antiguas finashacer tiro que no poda ser de otro modo, pero al final, la fundicin de bala se reduce a

la independencia. Proporciona el tirador la capacidad de producir la mayor cantidad debalas de cualquier dimetro, sea cual sea el diseo y la composicin que sea, lo quequiera, para el resto de su vida. Es precisamente este tipo de autosuficiencia eindependencia que hace fuerte a Estados Unidos. Dios bendiga a Amrica!

Table of ContentsContinue to Chapter 2 - Casting 101, Casting BasicsTop of PageIndex of Additional Glen E. Fryxell Shooting Articles
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htmhttp://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_2_Casting101.htmhttp://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_book_chapter_1_introduction.htm#tophttp://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htmhttp://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htmhttp://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_2_Casting101.htmhttp://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_book_chapter_1_introduction.htm#tophttp://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm

a cast bullet guide for handgunners 01

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